Lasting Record
If you love something digital — writing, journalling, a blog post, anything — and you want to preserve it for hundreds of years, you’ll print it on paper. Nothing digital lasts. In fact, it has a proven track record of not lasting.
I dislike this type of blanket statement of fact.
Paper doesn’t last for hundreds of years if it is not cared for.
Who is going to care for your Hobonichi journal once you’re gone?
Who is going to preserve the blog post you copied to 60 gsm paper and meticulously calligraphied to look like an old time bible?
Okay if it looks good enough some one might preserve it.
The idea that you have to save and preserve your ramblings and thoughts and tasks and goals and whatever you use your notebook or blog for is just … well, pedestrian. Your thoughts on productivity, what Apple should release, how Google is horrible, or whatever your writing about will most likely not impact anyone in 10, 20, or 100 years. No matter what format you use.
It’s not like we’re all looking to some random Roman baker for ideas on how to live our lives now. What ideas are we stealing from The Enlightenment? Not Sherry’s recipe for crow pie. It is a select few who get to echo through the ages and let’s face it, you’re blog about Apple probably isn’t going to resonate with anyone soon.
But, hey, I could be wrong and your blog about minimalism is the one that people find in a future that has no idea about Stoicism or the ancient human cultures that birthed the philosophy and you become the new Marcus Aurelius. Do you care? You won’t be there to see it. You won’t be there to direct it. You won’t be there to shape it.
No, seek not to preserve your writing for generations to come. Write for yourself and if it gets saved then count it a blessing.
Do not fret about trying to preserve your words.
Do not think that you have to preserve your words.